US embassy in Uganda warns of 'specific threat' to airport

Alan Cowell

A day after the announcement of heightened security measures on US-bound flights, the US Embassy in Uganda said on Thursday it had been warned of a "specific threat" of attack to the country's main airport and said travellers "may want to review their plans."

The warning was one of several recent alarms in restive East Africa, where governments have sought to counter threats, particularly those by the Shabab militant movement based in Somalia.

Soldiers and police forces perform spot checks on travellers during patrols in the streets of Kampala. Photo: AFP

It was not clear if the Ugandan concerns were linked to the plans, made known by officials in Washington on Wednesday, for tightened passenger screening on many flights to the United States from Europe, Africa and the Middle East. The measures followed intelligence reports of an increased threat from al-Qaeda's affiliate in Yemen.

The embassy did not specify what the threat entailed but said it had received information from the Uganda Police Force that, according to intelligence sources, "there is a specific threat to Entebbe International Airport," which serves the capital, Kampala, 40 kilometres.

The warning, in a statement on the embassy's website, said the attack could take place between 9pm and 11pm on Thursday.

"US Embassy Kampala wishes to remind US citizens of the continued threat of potential terrorist attacks in the country," the statement said. "The targets for these attacks could include hotels, restaurants, nightclubs, shopping malls, diplomatic missions, transportation hubs, religious institutions, government offices or public transportation."

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The embassy's warning followed a separate alert on Wednesday by Uganda's Civil Aviation Authority, Reuters reported.

According to Agence France-Presse, a Ugandan army spokesman, Paddy Ankunda, said on Thursday that troops had been deployed at the airport and in the capital.

"People must be vigilant in the face of this threat, report any suspicious individuals seen in their areas," he was quoted as saying, calling on citizens to "stay calm and alert." News photographs from Kampala showed a line of security personnel in camouflage fatigues carrying assault rifles as they patrolled the city.

In Washington, officials said Wednesday that heightened security arrangements for planes flying to the United States would be introduced at about 15 foreign airports. The Department of Homeland Security told airlines and overseas governments about the measures but has not disclosed details publicly.

Secretary Jeh Johnson of the Department of Homeland Security said in a written statement that the measures would be "both seen and unseen" and would evolve as situations warrant.